One of a number of often overlooked complaints which can be effectively treated with chiropractic medicine, insomnia affects tens of millions of American citizens, with 50–70 million adults in the United States believed to have some form of sleep disorder. Detroit metropolitan area primary care provider and experienced chiropractor Dr. Scott Zack offers a closer look at the ties between chiropractic care and getting a better night’s sleep.

According to Dr. Scott Zack, while pain is a widely accepted cause of disturbed sleep, sleep deprivation, and insomnia, a lack of sleep in itself can lead to worsening existing symptoms of pain or other discomfort.

“Neck and back pain are two major causes of disturbed sleep,” explains Dr. Zack. Both of these complaints, he says, can often be addressed by a chiropractor, as can pain in other areas of the body also known to negatively and routinely affect sleep. “So-called ‘sleep posture,’ proper or improper, can also have a massive impact on sleep, including whether an individual manages to get an adequate amount of rest each night or not,” he adds.

“Addressing poor sleeping positions and posture more generally,” Dr. Zack continues, “have both been demonstrated to have a beneficial effect on getting a good night’s sleep, which, of course, a chiropractor can help with.”

With this firmly in mind, Dr. Scott Zack is keen to highlight the links between a good night’s sleep, proper sleep posture, and various forms of both mild and severe pain and discomfort. “Pain of any sort, as most people will attest, can have a dreadful effect on achieving restful sleep,” he suggests, “yet many individuals routinely overlook the knock-on effect which a lack of sleep has on pain endured while a person is awake and out of bed.”

Indeed, a loss of sleep, especially on a regular basis, has been widely reported to amplify preexisting, often highly painful conditions by lowering patients’ pain thresholds.

“In such instances, often a patient will be prescribed sleeping pills or another form of insomnia medication,” Dr. Zack reveals, “and yet, chiropractic care can both ease pain which is depriving a person of sleep in the first place, and promote improved sleep which is known to help combat existing pain during waking hours.”

With many prescription sleep aids and other sedatives known to carry various side effects, chiropractic care should, says Dr. Zack, be deemed among the first ports of call when dealing with sleep deprivation tied to pain, or increased pain, amplified by a lack of sleep.

“All-natural and not reliant on traditional pharmacological intervention, chiropractic care boasts countless benefits, not least among which is improved sleep – something which we should all seek to remember, especially when prescription medication may otherwise be touted as the only solution,” adds Dr. Scott Zack, wrapping up.